


True Love Isn't the Answer

by bighammerlittlehammer



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Cinderella Elements, M/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-26 00:05:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14389932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bighammerlittlehammer/pseuds/bighammerlittlehammer
Summary: A boy who grew up with ash in his hair. A prince struggling to make the best of everything. The fairy who brought them together.





	1. Dreams Come True

Yuu Kanda used to be the son of a wealthy lord, known for his beautiful estate and love of art. Kanda’s mother had died when he was quite young, but his father had done a good job of raising his quiet and reclusive son. It had come as a surprise to many when Lord Tiedoll had decided to remarry, but few knew that the announcement impacted ten-year-old Yuu most of all. When the new wife joined the Tiedoll household, Yuu threw an absolute tantrum, shutting himself in his room for days at a time and insisting the servants call him by his mother’s maiden name - Kanda. In the end, he would regret isolating himself, as his father became ill and passed away mere weeks after his marriage. 

    That marked the end of Kanda’s normal life. His stepmother, it turned out, had only married his father for his money. That was something Kanda had told his father many times, but Lord Tidedoll, being the kind and naive man he was, had refused to see it. What Kanda hadn’t expected was for his stepmother to poison his father. He couldn’t prove that of course, but he watched her throughout the funeral, and he could’ve sworn he saw her smile softly as his father’s tomb was sealed.

    After that day, Kanda was slowly stripped of his status as a lordling. His stepmother had two sons, both of them older than Kanda, and she claimed her oldest would take his place as heir to his father’s fortune. Kanda, reduced to the status of a third son, was given the smallest bedroom in the house that wasn’t in the servants’ quarters. Many of his possessions were taken away, his stepmother making excuses about needing to sell them. Kanda knew she was lying. His father had left her a fortune fit for the queen of a small country, she didn’t need to make a cent for the rest of her life. But he couldn’t protest beyond yelling in her face, which would only result in a slap and an order to return to his room.

    As Kanda grew, the treatment only got worse. Over time it became clear his stepmother was only buying proper clothes for his stepbrothers, while Kanda’s clothes were almost always simple garments that resembled what the servants wore. He was eventually told not to show his face during family parties, because he couldn’t dress to fit the occasion. But the time he was thirteen, his eldest stepbrother, Sherril, had told him to stop eating with the family, because he couldn’t stand to see him. When he was fourteen, his other stepbrother, Tyki, had thrust a pile of laundry into his arms and told him to take it to the cleaning room. Little by little, things piled on top of each other, and Kanda found himself doing as many chores as any of the servants in the house, his status as a noble practically destroyed. Even his room was taken away, and he was sent to sleep in the attic, where there was no heating. He found that, in the winter, it was better to sleep in the kitchen by the fireplace, because he would be warm, even if he woke up with ash in his hair.

    And that is how Kanda lived until his twentieth year, working until his hands were callosed and waking every morning with his hair gray and tangled. It turned the already quiet and antisocial boy into a furious, bitter man who couldn’t bear to make eye contact with most people, least of all his so-called family. One of his few comforts was that his stepbrothers always demanded he participate in their fencing practice. Kanda had quickly learned not to attempt to beat them, as neither would let that go without beating him senseless afterwards, but as long as he constantly pretended to be slightly worse than them, Kanda could indirectly pick up tricks for swordfighting. Fighting felt good to Kanda; it was one of the only times he could feel like he was striking out against his oppressive, life-stealing family, even if he always had to cry uncle at the end. At night, he quietly counted the bruises and scars he’d earned at his stepbrother’s hands, and he’d silently pledge to himself that someday, everyone who had dared to ruin the peaceful life he’d had with his father would pay.

 

\--

  
  


    “The palace is hosting a contest for the prince’s hand in marriage.” The announcement came from Lady Lulubell, Kanda’s stepmother, as she read the morning mail. Kanda was lucky enough to hear it, as he was currently serving tea, but he knew the words were meant for Tyki and Sherril, not for him.

    “Oh my, is that so?” Sherril asked, leaning back in his chair and smirking. Sherril had an odd, almost purr-like quality to his voice that always set Kanda’s teeth on edge.

    “Yes.” Lulubell hummed, eye-like eyes scanning the letter in her hand. “It seems he’s being rather picky about who he’s going to marry, so he’s set three tasks for his future spouse.”

    “What are they?” asked Tyki, lighting a cigarette. Kanda wrinkled his nose slightly as he poured Tyki’s tea.

    “The contest will be three days long. The first day, the prince plans to challenge the suitors to fight him. The second, he’ll demand a display of magical ability from each contestant. The third will be a lavish masquerade, and he will announce his choice that night.” Lulubell looked up, her expression just as neutral as it usually was, but her eyes sharp. “Citizens of all classes are invited to attend.”

    “All classes? What kind of taste does this prince have!” Sherril laughed. Kanda found himself moving slower than usual, searching for small things to clean and straighten as an excuse to stay in the room and hear the end of the conversation.

    “Expensive taste.” Lulubell said crisply. “And powerful taste two. You’re both going. I don’t care which one of you wins, but if I’m not the mother of the prince consort by the end of this, you’ll both have hell to pay.”

    The rest of the day went on as normal, but Kanda’s mind was racing the entire time. He’d assumed for years that his life was going to continue being horrible until he died or his stepmother decided she didn’t want to look at him anymore and sent him away. It seemed that all his father’s old friends had forgotten about him and had no intents of helping him, so he truly was a nobody in the eyes of the public. But Lulubell had specifically said that anyone could go. And the thought of marrying a prince and being able to finally enact his long-awaited revenge upon his stepfamily was a very, very attractive one.

  
  


\--

 

It was the day before the first competition day, and Kanda had never felt so awake, alert, and focused in his whole life. He did his usual chores with single-minded determination, hoping for a chance to slip off to the armory at some point and steal Tyki’s second-best sword. He had yet to come up with a plan for the second day, but he figured he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. He was a fantastic swordsman, and all he needed to pass the first competition was to have a sword. Unfortunately, it seemed the universe was conspiring against him, because Tyki and Sherril wanted him running around the entire mansion doing their bidding.

“Get this to the wash room, I want to wear it tomorrow.” Sherril snapped, throwing a bright red jacket at Kanda. Kanda clutched the coat in his fists, scowling. He bit back the retort that welled up inside him and rushed to the wash room. He pushed open the door with every intent of throwing the coat at whichever servant was inside. Instead, he paused, startled by the unusual sight inside.

Leaning against the wall was someone Kanda had never seen before, a young man with while hair and clothes, who seemed to be glowing softly. He had an eerie, ethereal quality to him, almost reminding Kanda of a ghost. However, the large white moth wings sprouting from the man’s back made it obvious he wasn’t a ghost. He was something very different.

“Fairy.” Kanda whispered, eyes wide. The fairy smiled sweetly.

“Hello Kanda. It’s nice to finally meet you.” He pushed himself off from the wall, his hair shifting, and Kanda spotted an angry red scar tearing down the left side of the fairy’s face. “My name is Allen.”

“No it’s not.” Kanda said instantly. Everyone knew fairies never gave away their real names. Allen laughed softly.

“You’re smart. I expected nothing less.” Allen stepped closer, his long white coat softly brushing the ground. “I’ve been watching you for some time. I’d like to lend you a hand.”

“This one of those fairy boon things?” Kanda asked warily, shutting the door behind him. He’d heard stories of people getting “gifts” from fairies that came at horrible prices. Allen shook his head, casting shimmering light about the room.

“No. This isn’t a deal, or a trick. I’m a good fairy, don’t worry.” He stepped closer, and Kanda realized that Allen was quite pretty, in an unnerving way. The fairy reached up a white-gloved hand and brushed a strand of hair out of Kanda’s face. “You need to marry that prince. You can’t win the competition alone. Let me help.”

“Why?” Kanda growled, the contact making him uncomfortable. Every warning tale about the fair folk was running through his mind, but Allen was beautiful, and the light he was radiating was soft and warm, and maybe he really could make Kanda’s plan a success… Allen’s smile widened slightly.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s make your dreams come true. What do you say?”


	2. Black Sword, White Steed

The rest of Kanda’s chores were done ridiculously fast, thanks to Allen. With a wave of his hand and a murmured word, the fairy did entire loads of laundry, washed piles of dishes, and swept whole rooms in seconds. He always vanished in the blink of an eye when someone other Kanda entered the room, but would reappear the moment they were alone. Kanda was surprised to learn Allen was fairly chatty, and had a lot of comments for Kanda.

“I’ve seen the prince, he’s quite handsome. Around your age too. I know you’re just marrying for money and power, but a handsome husband is a nice bonus, right? I bet he’ll be all over you, he values swordsmanship and you’re brilliant with a sword.”

“Could you shut up?” Kanda snapped under his breath, aware that if someone else was in the other room, they would hear him, but not Allen. Allen pouted.

“Is that the way to treat the guy who wants to help you?” he whined. Kanda gritted his teeth. For some reason, everything Allen said just grated on his nerves. He found himself wishing he could draw a sword and slice the fairy’s pretty face in half.

Right, the sword! Kanda still needed Tyki’s sword! He shushed Allen and started making his way to the armory, careful to make sure no one was following him. Well, no one except Allen of course. When he finally reached the armory he opened the door softly, knowing it would be empty at this time of day.

Except, it wasn’t. Perched on a bench, his second best sword laying across his lap, was Tyki. He wore a smug expression, and Kanda froze. He’d been caught.

“Hello, Kanda.” Tyki said smoothly, resting a hand on the sword in his lap. “What brings you here at this time of day?”

“Could ask you the same thing.” Kanda forced out. Tyki laughed.

“Me? Well that’s easy. I’m here to stop whatever you’re planning.” He stood slowly, drawing the sword. Kanda took an automatic step back. “Did you think we wouldn’t notice how fast your chores have been getting done? You’re up to something, aren’t you?” Tyki stalked forward like a hunting cat as Kanda watched warily.

“I’m not up to anything.” he said flatly, knowing Tyki wouldn’t believe him.

“Is that so? I think you’re mostly definitely up to something.” Tyki lifted the tip of his sword, the point resting just under Kanda’s chin. Kanda was tense, every muscle in his body tight, his eyes locked on Tyki’s hands, waiting for a twitch or motion of any kind. “I think you’re planning on going after the prince.”

“Ridiculous.” Kanda hissed, wishing with all his might that he was a better liar.

“Is it? I know how you are Kanda. Selfish, greedy, ingrateful. Spitting at my mother behind her back when she’s been so kind to you all these years. Refusing to acknowledge what you are, what you always have been - just a brat who never deserved the luxury he was born into. I have no doubt you’re eyeing that place at the prince’s side.” The point pressed harder into Kanda’s skin, and he felt blood start to run down his neck. “Well, you can forget it. I’ll be the one to charm his highness - before this month is out, you’ll have to grovel at my feet like you should have from the start.” Then Tyki stepped back, twirling the sword one-handed, the flourish he always loved to used when he won a match. “And don’t even think about using one of our swords. I’ll kill you myself if you do.” With that, Tyki swept out of the room, leaving a frozen, fuming Kanda.

“Geez, what a weirdo.” The voice startled Kanda, but when he turned, he saw only Allen, staring at the doorway Tyki had left through. “Smells like evil magic too.”

“What the hell am I going to do now?!” Kanda snapped, kicking the bench that Tyki had just vacated. “I can’t show up without a sword! This is my one chance to get back at those demons, and now-”

“Hey, hey, relax.” A cool, gloved hand pressed itself between Kanda’s shoulder blades. “You’ve got me, remember? I can fix a little setback like this, no problem.” Kanda whipped around, glaring.

“Can you really?”

“Of course!” Allen grinned cheekily. “Just need a little time. I’ll be gone ‘til tomorrow morning - I’ll wake you up in time for the competition. Just try to keep from acting suspicious until then.” Before Kanda could ask for more details, Allen was gone with a wink and a flash of silver light. Kanda was left alone, fists clenched, mind racing.

There was nothing he could do but wait.

 

\--

 

The next morning, Kanda was woken up by what seemed to be sunlight - until his gaze adjusted properly and he saw that it was actually the light that seemed to forever follow Allen wherever he went. Kanda squinted, already annoyed with the fairy’s cheerful expression.

“Good morning sleepyhead!” Allen said cheerfully. “Up and Adam! Today’s the first day!” Kanda groaned and sat up next to the fireplace, rubbing his eyes.

“Did you get me a sword?” he grumbled. Allen pouted.

“Awfully rude way to say good morning to someone. But yes, I did.” Allen seemed to be bouncing on the balls of his feet out of excitement. Kanda slowly stood up, stretching.

“So, let me see it.” he demanded. Allen wagged a finger.

“Be patient! You’ll see it in a moment. Come with me.” He took Kanda’s hand and proceeded to drag him through the house and out into the garden. Kanda winced at the bright sunshine, and realized with horror that it was nearly noon.

“The day’s almost half done, I’ll miss the competition you fool!” he yelled. Allen only laughed.

“I know it’s late, silly! I waited until your so-called family had already left. Don’t worry, you’ll get there in time. But first, we have to get you ready!” Kanda watched with trepidation as Allen clapped his hands twice, twirled, and started to dance. It was a strange kind of dance, with deliberate but confusing movements, to a tune Allen hummed himself that Kanda did not recognize. Suddenly, the fairy took hold of his hands again and spun him, violently, so the world twisted and turned and left Kanda horribly dizzy when the spinning finally stopped.

“Ta-da!” Allen crowed happily. “Look at yourself!” He pointed to the surface of the pond in the center of the estate garden. Kanda swayed for a moment, then stepped closer to the pond, looking down. He didn’t know what he had expected to see, but it certainly wasn’t what looked back at him.

Kanda looked like… well, like a prince. He wore a suit of deep blue velvet, trimmed with white lace and gold braid. His hair, usually matted and so full of ash it looked grey, was clean as could be and drawn back into a slick ponytail, the inky strands spilling over one shoulder as he looked down into the pond. His face looked clean and striking, the ponytail emphasising his strong jawline and high cheekbones. He didn’t look at all like the cinder rat he’d grown up to be. He looked like the Lord he’d been born to be.

“Like it?” Allen asked, and Kanda jolted as he realized Allen was much closer to him that he’d thought. It seemed the fairy didn’t cast a reflection.

“It’s…” Kanda struggled with words. “It’s acceptable.” he finally said lamely. Allen snorted.

“Well, with you, that’s better than it could be.” Allen pulled his hand out from behind his back, holding out a sword with a black wooden hilt, silver crossguard, and a midnight blue leather scabbard. “This is Mugen. It’s a blade forged by fairy magic - as long as you are the one who owns it, it will serve no other man. If one of your stepbrothers tries to take it, he’ll be burned as if he touched hot iron. It is yours, and yours alone.” Allen smiled, and Kanda slowly reached out, taking the scabbard in one hand. The sword was pleasantly heavy, the leather soft but sturdy. Kanda grasped the hilt and slowly drew it. The blade, surprisingly, was entirely black, shimmering like the deepest night. Kanda marveled at it.

“Where did you get this?” he asked softly, swinging it a couple of times. The balance was perfect.

“Better not to ask questions like that.” Allen said with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure you won’t need this, but if you do - running two fingers down the flat of the blade will activate its other magical ability. As long as the magic is working, no man can defeat you. But you have to act quickly, it will sap the strength from your body, and if your body gives out, the spell will release, and you will be at your enemy’s mercy.” Allen watched as Kanda resheathed the sword and buckled the scabbard to his belt. The weight felt comforting, somehow right. Kanda looked at Allen.

“Well, you made me presentable and gave me a sword… How am I going to get there?” Kanda crossed his arms and waited as Allen beamed.

“Easily!” he cried, clapping his hands twice again. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, Kanda realized he could hear hoofbeats in the distance. The sound grew closer until, finally, with a loud whiny, a beautiful white horse leapt over the garden wall. Kanda stared with wide eyes as the steed made the impossible jump, landing nimbly and calmly. The beast trotted closer to them and snorted, nuzzling Allen’s neck. Allen laughed and playfully pushed the horse’s nose away.

“This a fairy horse?” Kanda asked, still staring. The horse’s white mane and tail were braided with gold, the white leather saddle and bridal trimmed with gold fittings. Even the horseshoes seemed to be gold. Allen petted the creature’s nose fondly.

“This is Timcanpy, and yes, he is a fairy steed. Mine, actually. Which is why you can be sure you’ll get there on time - he travels much faster than any horse you might be used to.” Allen’s expression turned serious as suddenly as he had smiled before. “Be careful. The clothes are enchanted to make you unrecognizable to anyone who may know you, but the spell will break if you give anyone a name to call you by, even if it’s not your real name. You must remain a mystery until you’ve won the prince’s hand and your victory is assured.” Like a royal personal attendant, Allen knelt, linking his hands together and holding them as a step for Kanda to get onto Timcanpy’s back. Kanda opened his mouth, then snapped it shut and simply nodded. He stepped carefully into Allen’s hand and swung himself onto the saddle. Once he was settled Allen stood again, looked up at Kanda with eyes as grey as clouds. Kanda cleared his throat.

“Uh, thanks.” Apparently he sounded as awkward as he felt, because Allen just laughed.

“No need to thank me. Off you go now! Charm that prince for me!” Before Kanda could say another word, Allen slapped a hand to Timcanpy’s backside, and the horse took off with a whinny.

The journey passed in a blur of motion and sound. Kanda felt as if he was in a dream, traveling somehow too fast and too slow. He wasn’t controlling Timcanpy at all, the horse seemed to naturally know where he needed to go. Kanda could only hold on and watch as he traveled across the countryside and into the palace grounds. Gardens and buildings blurred past until, as suddenly as it had began, the trip was over. Timcanpy suddenly slowed, trotting towards a crowd of people on a vast field, surrounding a wooden stage. Kanda felt his heart sink as he saw a figure standing alone on the stage; the prince, giving his closing speech.

The prince, as Allen had said, was rather beautiful. Clean-shaven, blond hair neatly braided down his back, clad in brilliant red and white. He stood on the stage with all the confidence and grace his title commanded of him. However, the words he was speaking distracted from his lovely face.

“I would like to thank all the contestants for making an appearance today. I have been offered many wonderful options for a future spouse, and I-”

“Allow me to offer one more option, your highness.” Kanda didn’t know what possessed him to call out, but it certainly drew the attention of the crowd’s attention. The prince stopped speaking immediately and hush fell over the crowd as Kanda slowly rode up, a nameless dark figure on a brilliant white horse.

“And who might you be?” the prince asked curiously as Kanda dismounted. Kanda petted Timcanpy’s nose once in thanks before turning to face the stage. He couldn’t resist a small, smug smile as he spotted his stepmother and stepbrothers standing not too far away, staring at him with confusion and offense. Allen’s warning about names came back to him.

“I didn’t come here to trade words with you, highness.” Kanda drawled confidently as he walked up the stage steps. “I came to trade blows.” Slowly, he drew Mugen, the crowd gasping at the way the sunlight caught off the black blade. The prince raised an eyebrow.

“I suppose you’re quite right. Even if you are late, you certainly know how to make an entrance.” He drew his own sword, a shining silver affair with a gold hilt. He raised it in front of his face in the traditional dueling stance, eye contact as sharp as his sword. Kanda mirrored him, a faint smile playing at his lips.

“Begin!” cried a rather confused sounding referrie. Kanda struck without warning, lashing out with Mugen. The sword moved beautifully, feeling like an extension of Kanda’s arm. The fight lasted only a few seconds, as most sword fights did. Kanda found it wonderfully refreshing to attack with no need to hold back as he did with his stepbrothers; he struck as fast and hard as a snake hungry for blood. The prince’s movements were graceful and elegant, but too slow to compete with Kanda’s ruthlessness. With a swift flick, Kanda knocked the sword from his highness’ hand, and lifted Mugen to rest the tip on the prince’s shoulder. The crowd was completely silent, the prince’s expression calculating. Kanda smirked, a feeling of pride that hadn’t touched him in years swelling in his chest. He’d done it. He’d passed the first test. He’d won.

“Impressive.” the prince commented cooly, lifting a gloved hand and pushing Mugen off his shoulder with a fingertip. Kanda resheathed the blade as a servant brought the prince his sword. As he slid it into his scabbard, his eyes never left Kanda’s face. “You’re bold, showing up late, denying me your name, and beating me without breaking a sweat.”

“I’ve been called bold before.” Kanda admitted, brushing his ponytail off his shoulder. The prince smiled ever so slightly.

“Will I be seeing you tomorrow?” he asked, and if Kanda hadn’t known better, he might’ve thought the prince sounded slightly hopeful.

“I’ll show up if I feel like it.” Kanda responded casually, turning away from the prince without ceremony or so much as a bow. He walked casually down the stage steps, being sure not to make eye contact with his family, even though he could feel their gazes boring into him. He climbed into Timcanpy and seized the reigns, turning away from the crowd. At the last moment, he twisted around, and in an impulsive move even he would question later, Kanda blew the prince a kiss. The crowd gasped in shock, and the prince’s mouth fell open in surprise. With one final smirk, Kanda rode away from the competition, proud of himself for completely shaking the foundations of the competition in less than ten minutes.

 

From his place in the crowd, disguised as a grubby peasant boy, Allen smiled with pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU is so self-indulgent I just love Kanda being a smug swordsman and Link being Unreasonably drawn to him and not wanting to show it.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Cinderella AU no one asked for.


End file.
